Department for Transport

Roads: Death

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to prevent road death among people over 60.

Rachel Maclean: Older Road Users are one of the Department for Transport’s four priority groups for road safety as outlined in our 2019 Road Safety Statement. Action focuses on support and advice for older people, and a programme of research including a review of the recommendations from the Older Drivers Task Force. The Department continues to fund and support a number of organisations to help older people to continue to drive safely, to deliver advice and support to older drivers and to develop an Approved Driving Instructor training course that is specific to the needs of older drivers.

Buses: Alternative Fuels

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to make available the funding announced under the Better Bus Deal for Bus Users to provide for alternatively fuelled vehicles.

Rachel Maclean: The Better Deal for Bus Users commitments from 2019 included a commitment to fund £50 million towards the UK’s first All-Electric Bus Town. We hope to announce the bid(s) progressing to the next stage of the All-Electric Bus Town competition soon. In addition to this, on 11 February 2020 the Prime Minister announced £5 billion of new funding to overhaul bus and cycle links for regions outside London. This additional investment will include at least 4,000 new Zero-Emission Buses. The funding of which will be announced in due course after the Spending Review.

Bus Services: Coronavirus

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans the Government has to support coach (a) operators and (b) manufacturers experiencing reduced demand as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Rachel Maclean: We have announced several measures available to UK businesses, including coach operators and manufacturers, and this includes further measures announced by the Chancellor on 24 September as part of the Winter Economy Plan and support for businesses in local lockdown areas. In addition, we are supporting coaches to be used for school transport and public transport, where appropriate. The Department for Education has provided over £70 million to local transport authorities to provide additional dedicated school and college capacity in our transport system, including coaches. We continue to work closely with representatives from the coach sector including the Confederation of Passenger Transport, and with other Government Departments, to understand the ongoing risks and issues, including demand considerations and how these could be addressed.

Cycling: Wakefield

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to encourage cycling as a means of transport in Wakefield constituency since the covid-19 outbreak began.

Chris Heaton-Harris: On the 9th May the Government announced a £2bn package of funding for cycling and walking. This included a £225 million Emergency Active Travel Fund from which West Yorkshire Combined Authority was allocated £2,513,000 in the first tranche, and indicatively allocated a further £10,053,000 from tranche 2. The Department will be confirming final allocations for tranche 2 of the fund shortly. Decisions on the allocation of the rest of the £2 billion will be for the Spending Review in due course. The majority of this funding will be provided to local authorities in order to deliver local cycling and walking plans.

Cycleways

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has for the provision of cycling routes and facilities  alongside HS2.

Chris Heaton-Harris: In October 2018 the Government published a feasibility study looking at the possibility of a cycleway associated with the HS2 scheme. The study identified a series of cycle routes that would provide connectivity benefits to local communities. The Government has also invested £22 million in developing National Cycle Network cycling and walking paths. Many of these are within the HS2 corridor, and will deliver improved surfacing, new traffic-free routes, and more accessible transport links in local communities. Further funding for the National Cycle Network and other cycling routes and facilities will be considered as part of the Spending Review.

Travel: Coronavirus

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to provide covid-19 funding support for (a) light rail, (b) buses and (c) active travel.

Rachel Maclean: On 8 August, the Government announced funding at up to £27.3 million per week to support the bus sector, through the Coronavirus Bus Service Support Grant (CBSSG) Restart scheme, until a time when the funding is no longer needed. On 22 October, the Government also announced funding of up to £35.4 million for light rail services over the 12 weeks from 27 October, and a further indicative allocation of up to £32.4 million for the 11 weeks thereafter, subject to a Government review of funding requirements.This latest round of funding – key to ensuring these vital services can continue running safely– means total support during the pandemic for bus and tram services will reach at least £900 million. The Government has made a commitment, set out in the Prime Minister’s Cycling and Walking Plan launched in July, to invest an unprecedented £2 billion in active travel over the remainder of this Parliament. £250 million of this is being made available in the current financial year

Motorcycles: Noise

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans his Department has to bring forward legislative proposals on tackling unlawful levels of noise from motorbikes.

Rachel Maclean: The Government takes the impact of traffic noise on health, wellbeing and the natural environment seriously. Vehicles are required to meet strict noise limits before being placed on the market and police already have powers to act if they suspect an exhaust has been altered to increase noise. The Department is continuing to research whether noise enforcement can be made more effective using acoustic camera technology. A review of the current vehicle noise legislation may need to be considered if acoustic camera systems prove to be a reliable and efficient enforcement method.

Railways: Concessions

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to train operators operating limited timetables as a result of the covid-19 outbreak, whether the Government will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to permit railcards not previously permitted to be used at peak times to be used during peak times to assist employees with the costs of commuting.

Chris Heaton-Harris: My Department took immediate action at the outbreak of the pandemic to support passengers and the rail industry by keeping the services people depend on running, protecting jobs, delivering refunds and removing charges for cancellations. In this context we must ensure the demands placed on taxpayers are fair and balanced and that Government focuses its investment on maintaining services, to enable social distancing and support our economic recovery. All passengers are eligible to buy season tickets, offering significant savings for those who regularly commute on peak-time services. Additional provisions have been made for younger and lower-income commuters, with both the 16-17 Saver Railcard and the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card offering discounts on season tickets. While we have no plans at this time to offer further subsidies for peak-time travel, the Government recognises that the pandemic has caused a fundamental change in working patterns and that this could have long-term effects on commuter behaviours. My Department has proactively worked with the rail industry, and is currently considering proposals received from train operators, to try to ensure better value and convenience for part-time and flexible commuters.

Railway Stations: Hedge End

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of trends in the number of passengers using Hedge End train station in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Office of Road and Rail (ORR) publish annual estimates of the number of entries/exits and interchanges for Hedge End, and all other stations in Great Britain. This information is openly available on the ORR data portal https://dataportal.orr.gov.uk/statistics/usage/estimates-of-station-usage.

Railways: Arundel

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the proposed Arundel chord rail connection.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Arundel Chord could provide some limited and infrequent benefits as a ‘diversionary route’ – a view confirmed in Network Rail’s Spring 2020 West Sussex Connectivity Study. As such, there is no active consideration of the Arundel Chord proposals.

Railways: Arundel

Andrew Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when his Department plans to announce a decision on the Arundel chord rail connection.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The second round of the Restoring Your Railway Ideas Fund received 51 applications and the expert Panel have made recommendations on which schemes should be considered for funding. We will be announcing the outcome of the second round of the Ideas Fund in the coming weeks.

Bus Services: West Yorkshire

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how much of the additional £30 million in bus funding announced on 3 April 2020 will be spent in (a) Wakefield and (b) West Yorkshire.

Rachel Maclean: The West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which includes Wakefield, has been provided with £1,086,414 from the additional £30 million bus fund.

Roads: Repairs and Maintenance

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Highways England road improvement projects have had their pedestrian element cancelled as a result of an estimated economy saving in each of the last five years.

Rachel Maclean: Highways England includes provision for Non-Motorised Users, including pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders, as standard in all its scheme designs. The number of schemes that have had pedestrian elements removed can only be provided at a disproportionate cost for this answer.

Motor Vehicles: Wakefield

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) electric vehicles, (b) petrol fuelled vehicles and (c) diesel fuelled vehicles are registered to addresses in Wakefield constituency.

Rachel Maclean: At the end of June 2020, vehicles licensed to an address in the Wakefield constituency comprised (a) 134 battery electric vehicles, (b) 27,773 petrol vehicles, and (c) 27,166 diesel vehicles.

Emergency Services: Coronavirus

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate his Department has made of the average increase in journey times of emergency service vehicles that have been caused as a result of road closures to facilitate social distancing during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on whether any lives have been lost as a result of delays affecting emergency service vehicles that have been caused as a result of road closures to facilitate social distancing during the covid-19 outbreak; and if he will make a statement.

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to mandate the removal of temporarily imposed restrictions on road space for traffic introduced under emergency provisions during the covid-19 outbreak in the event that it is shown that those restrictions are causing deaths that would have been avoided without their imposition; and if he will make a statement.

Rachel Maclean: The Department has made no assessment of how the emergency services have been affected by the introduction of new road layouts. It is for local authorities to ensure that any changes they propose to make to road layouts are delivered in line with relevant legislation, and consultation and noticing requirements. Where road closures require a Traffic Regulation Order, the emergency services must be consulted as part of the order-making process, to ensure any concerns are addressed and that access is maintained. Emergency services have been generally supportive of road layout changes, such as low-traffic neighbourhoods and, in some cases, their access has improved because narrow, unsuitable roads are no longer full of traffic.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions his Department has had with the British Retail Consortium on introducing a fit to trade licensing scheme to tackle labour exploitation in garment factories.

Paul Scully: BEIS and Home Office officials have had two meetings with representatives from the British Retail Consortium to understand more about their proposal to introduce a fit to trade licensing scheme for garment factories, and what action brands are taking to ensure compliance throughout their supply chain. I also regularly meet with the British Retail Consortium as part of his frequent engagement with the retail sector. BEIS and the Home Office are also working in partnership with the industry through the Apparel and General Merchandise Public and Private Protocol, a partnership between enforcement bodies and industry partners, including, the British Retail Consortium, UK Fashion and the Textile Association. This is aimed at tackling all forms of labour exploitation in the garment industry. The Government will continue to work closely with the multi-agency Taskforce, which has been established in Leicester to tackle allegations of exploitation in the sector, to consider the most appropriate measures to tackle labour exploitation.

Re-employment

Dr Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many letters have been issued under section 188 of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 in the last 12 months by employers informing employees of a reduction in their conditions and terms of employment in the event that they are rehired.

Paul Scully: The Government and its agencies do not have this information. Terms and conditions of employment are for negotiation and agreement between employers and employees (or their representatives). Once agreed, these form a legally binding contract of employment. If the employer changes any of the terms without the employee’s agreement, the employee may be entitled to seek legal redress. Where the employer recognises a trade union, consent for the changes can be facilitated through collective bargaining.

Motor Vehicles: Carbon Emissions

Ben Lake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of a California-style zero emission vehicle mandate to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles.

Nadhim Zahawi: We recognise that we need to go further than the existing regulatory regime to reduce CO2 emissions from road transport to deliver our climate goals. We are considering our options as part of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan.

Electric Vehicles: Charging Points

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what funding his Department provides to service stations in (a) the UK and (b) Wolverhampton South West constituency for installing electric car charge-points.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government has published a vision for rolling out high-powered chargepoints across the motorway and A-road network in England. Today, a driver is never more than 25 miles away from a rapid chargepoint anywhere along England's motorways and major A roads. By 2023, we aim to have at least six high-powered, open access?chargepoints (150 to 350 kilowatt capable) at motorway service areas in England, with some larger sites having as many as 10 to 12. By 2035, we expect the number to increase to around 6,000 high-powered chargers across the network. This vision will be supported by a Rapid Charging Fund, which was announced at Budget as part of a £500 million commitment for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. To target spending from this Fund effectively, the Office for Low Emission Vehicles has commenced a comprehensive review of electric vehicle infrastructure to complete later this year. Highways England has now completed its commitment to ensure there is a rapid chargepoint every 20 miles along 95% of the Strategic Road Network by March 2020. The management of motorways and major roads is a devolved matter and the UK Government is working with partners in the Devolved Administrations to ensure that there are coordinated plans in place for the development of a rapid charging infrastructure across the UK.

Global Navigation Satellite Systems

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much the Government has spent on developing a sovereign Global Navigation Satellite System since 2018; and what the breakdown of that spending is.

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much has been spent from the public purse on contracts with companies based outside the UK for development of a satellite system to replace Galileo.

Amanda Solloway: The 18 month UK Global Navigation Satellite System Programme successfully concluded its work to develop outline proposals for a conventional satellite navigation system in September. £92m was originally allocated for the UK GNSS Programme and work has concluded successfully under budget. Much of the work was covered by Non-Disclosure Agreements and, for reasons of both commercial and national security sensitivities, it is not possible to offer a detailed breakdown of that spending for both inside and outside the UK. Work completed by the UK Space Agency so far has developed cutting edge British expertise in areas such as spacecraft and antenna design, satellite and ground control systems, systems engineering and simulation, which have wider applications across the space sector, in addition to supporting specialist UK jobs and industrial GNSS capability. The new Space Based PNT Programme will carry forward this work to consider newer, more innovative ideas of delivering global ‘sat nav’ and secure satellite services to meet public, government and industry needs.

LaunchUK Industry Group

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how many companies participate in the LaunchUK Industry Group; and which of those companies were consulted on the contents of the US-UK Technology Safeguards Agreement signed on 16 June 2020.

Amanda Solloway: There are over 100 companies and research institutions in the LaunchUK Industry Group.The US-UK Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) is a legally binding bilateral treaty with the United States of America and is subject to 21 sitting days scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG). The Command Paper along with the Exchange of Notes for the TSA and Explanatory Memorandum was published and E-laid before Parliament on 16 October 2020.Companies which are likely to be affected by the provisions in the TSA were consulted prior to and throughout its negotiation, both through the LaunchUK Industry Group and in direct consultations. The Agreement will not place any undue limitations on UK-based companies; indeed, it is expected to open new opportunities for them while meeting the UK’s counter-proliferation obligations.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when the £18.5 million funding for Imperial College London for phase three covid-19 vaccine trials announced on 17 May 2020 was disbursed; and whether any conditions were attached to that funding.

Amanda Solloway: The Government has funded early clinical trials for the Imperial vaccine which began in June 2020 and continue. The £18.5 million for further large scale studies for 2.5 million people has not yet been disbursed, as those studies cannot be undertaken until the ongoing phase 1 clinical trials, future phase 2 efficacy trials and other criteria have proven successful and regulatory approvals have been secured for human deployment of the vaccine. Any further investment decisions will be made in due course as necessary.

Clinical Trials and Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to encourage research and clinical trials in non-covid related research.

Amanda Solloway: The Government funds research and clinical trials through UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), and we have put a large focus on research into COVID-19 to tackle the immediate crisis. The NIHR baseline budget for 2020/21 is set at £1,090 million excluding Official Development Assistance funding. In addition, there will be a number of in-year budget adjustments/transfers and funding contributions from the Devolved Administrations and other funders that have yet to be finalised but will at current estimates exceed £50 million. NIHR expects to spend its budget in full and a significant proportion of this spend will be on funding or supporting clinical trials funded by other research funders However, the Government’s long-term objectives for R&D are clear: to invest in the science and research that will deliver economic growth and societal benefits across the UK for decades to come, and to build the foundations for the new industries of tomorrow.

Northern Ireland Office

UK Government-Northern Ireland Executive Joint Board

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to the Answer of 5 October 2020 to Question 97062 on UK Government-Northern Ireland Executive Joint Board, what assessment he has made of the progress being made on transformation in the areas of (a) health, (b) education and (c) justice.

Mr Robin Walker: Those matters are of course devolved and a matter for the Executive.We have, however, seen the ending of the nurses’ pay dispute and the Executive reaching political agreement on the creation of a new Northern Ireland Graduate Entry Medical School in Derry/Londonderry.The Executive’s focus, rightly and understandably, has been on Covid-19. But the pandemic has highlighted the need for urgent health reform in NI and as a result, the Rebuilding Health & Social Care Strategic Framework was published by Minister Swann on 9 June.The UK Government supports the Executive’s commitment to speed up the criminal justice system, benefitting victims and witnesses. We also support the Executive’s progress towards building a shared and integrated society, including educating children from different backgrounds in the classroom.A further meeting of the Joint Board took place on 21 October. The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland discussed the importance of delivering transformation in public services and establishing an independent fiscal council to support the Executive in developing long-term spending plans with the First and deputy First Minister.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Northern Ireland

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with the Northern Ireland Executive on the number of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations operating in Northern Ireland; and what assessment he has made of the effect on costs to the taxpayer of those organisations.

Mr Robin Walker: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is in regular contact with the First and deputy First Minister and members of the Northern Ireland Executive where a range of issues are discussed. The Executive’s arms-length bodies, including their funding arrangements, are a matter for the Executive.

Mental Health Services: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the commitments set out in the New Decade, New Approach document published in January 2020, how much funding from the public purse the Government plans to allocate for mental health in Northern Ireland.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK Government committed £2 billion over five years to facilitate NDNA commitments, which includes around £245m to support the transformation of public services and £140m to address Northern Ireland’s unique challenges. The UK Government has also guaranteed a further £2.4billion in additional funding in response to Covid-19.The allocation of funding for public services, including the prioritisation of physical and mental health services is a devolved matter, within the competence of the Northern Ireland Executive.Given the serious impact Covid-19 has had on mental health, Minster Swann launched a Mental Health Action Plan on 19 May. The Mental Health Action Plan is the first in a series of steps taken by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, to ensure those suffering from mental ill health will be able to access the services they need. The action plan includes a dedicated Covid-19 response plan, which outlines the psychological wellbeing and mental health response to the pandemic.In addition to this, Professor Siobhan O’Neill, Professor of Mental Health Sciences at Ulster University was appointed as interim Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland. Professor O’Neill is one of Northern Ireland’s leading experts in the field of mental health, and is at the forefront in developing responsive services for those affected by trauma and mental illness.

Infrastructure: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to page 52 of the New Decade, New Approach document published in January 2020, what assessment he has made of the Government's progress on turbocharging infrastructure  delivery in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Robin Walker: The UK Government is committed to working with the Executive to turbocharge infrastructure delivery in Northern Ireland, including through the £2bn New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) deal. Alongside this, the Government will be undertaking an ambitious review of connectivity within the United Kingdom through the Union Connectivity Review, which will look at the opportunities for strengthening connections throughout the Union. Further to this, the Government has also committed £562m to the City and Growth Deal programme in Northern Ireland and £55m for the Inclusive Future Fund to regenerate the North West. This funding aims to have a positive and lasting impact on employability and skills, infrastructure, tourism and regeneration. The Government’s £2 billion NDNA financial package includes: a £1bn Barnett-based investment guarantee from the UK Government, £60m for a Graduate Entry Medical School in the North West and £50m to support the rollout of ultra-low emission public transport. The Government has already provided the Executive with £553m from this financial package to support our commitments. We will continue to work through the Joint Board to drive the delivery of NDNA. In the light of Covid-19, it is all the more important that we work closely with the Executive to enable the strongest possible economic recovery. The Government has provided unprecedented assistance to businesses and households through the UK and has provided the Executive with significant additional resources to respond to the crisis. We will be equally committed in driving forward economic growth, building back better and enabling Northern Ireland to seize the opportunities presented by our new trading relationships.

Department of Health and Social Care

Dementia: Research

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to (a) support research on dementia and (b) ensure that research on that matter continues during the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: The Government remains strongly committed to supporting research into dementia and the United Kingdom research community is playing a significant role in the global effort to find a cure or a major disease-modifying treatment by 2025.The Government’s 2020 Challenge contained the commitment to spend £300 million on dementia research over the five years to March 2020. This commitment was delivered a year early with £341 million spent on dementia research over the four years to 31 March 2019. We are currently working on ways to boost significantly further research on dementia at all stages on the translation pathway including medical and care interventions.

Pressure Sores

Conor McGinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to provide funding for research into (a) new treatments and (b) preventative strategies for pressure ulcers.

Edward Argar: The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including pressure ulcers. Applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and health and care services, value for money and scientific quality. Information on individual projects funded by the NIHR can be found at the following link:https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/programmes/

Coronavirus: Noradrenaline

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which individuals and professional organisations issue guidance on the stockpiling of noradrenaline for the treatment of covid-19 to (a) his Department and (b) NHS England.

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has made to ensure the adequate supply of ICU medicine supplies for the treatment of covid-19.

Paul Bristow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the outcome was of his 23 July 2020 tender entitled the Supply of Supportive medicines for a UK stockpile of medicines for Covid-19 preparedness.

Edward Argar: In preparation for a second wave of COVID-19 and to protect the security of the supply of critical life-saving medicines and patient health across the United Kingdom, an assessment of intensive care unit and end of life care medicines and antibiotics that should be stockpiled, informed by senior clinicians and those with experience of treating COVID-19 patients, was led by NHS England in May and June and this fed into two Departmental tender exercises. Noradrenaline is one of the medicines that is being sourced by the Department.

Influenza: Vaccination

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what data his Department holds on the number of people who will be aged 65 by 31 March 2021 who have received a 2020 NHS flu vaccine to date.

Jo Churchill: Public Health England (PHE) publishes weekly influenza vaccine uptake reports throughout the flu season for general practitioner (GP) patients, including those aged 65 and over on 31 March 2021. This data is based on automated returns from GP practices. The first weekly report will be published on 8 October on GOV.UK.PHE also publishes monthly influenza vaccine uptake data on the number of individuals who are aged 65 and over on 31 March 2021 who have been vaccinated with an influenza vaccine. This data will be published on GOV.UK on 26 November 2020.

Coronavirus: Health Services

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the contracts between NHS England and the private hospital companies which he announced on 21 March 2020 for the provision of healthcare services and facilities to support the covid-19 response.

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will publish the amounts paid to each of the private hospital companies under the arrangements announced on 21 March 2020 for the provision of healthcare services and facilities to support the covid-19 response.

Edward Argar: A Contract Award Notice in respect of each of the 26 individual contracts entered into by NHS England with independent sector hospital providers has been published on 16 October 2020 by the Official Journal of the European Union. The Notice can be viewed at the following link:https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:492193-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML  Under the agreement, latest figures show that from 30 March until 30 August 2020 over 967,000 National Health Service patient appointments have taken place within independent facilities. We cannot provide a breakdown of the amounts paid to each independent sector Provider, however, the total for this period is estimated at £1 billion.As part of preparing for winter, the Government has provided an additional £3 billion to the NHS. This includes additional funding to the NHS to allow them to continue to use additional hospital capacity from the independent sector, and to maintain the Nightingale hospitals, in their current state, until the end of March 2021.

Public Sector: Contracts

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to regulation 32(2)(c) of the Public Contract Regulations 2015, what criteria constitutes an emergency.

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 14 September to Question 81560, what other approaches were considered in determining where procurement meets the tests for the use of Regulation 32.

Edward Argar: Guidance on how contracting authorities should respond to COVID-19 was published on 18 March at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/procurement-policy-note-0120-responding-to-covid-19Authorities are allowed to procure goods, services and works with extreme urgency in exceptional circumstances using regulation 32(2)(c) under the Public Contract Regulations 2015. The Department assesses the market conditions for procuring supplies related to any procurement, including those relating to COVID-19, in accordance with procurement guidance and regulations. The Department has to demonstrate on a case by case basis that it is satisfied the tests set out in the guidance permitting use of the negotiated procedure without prior publication have been met. These are summarized as follows:- you need to respond to the COVID-19 consequences immediately because of public health risks, loss of existing provision at short notice, etc;- you are reacting to a current situation that is a genuine emergency - not planning for one;- the COVID-19 situation is so novel that the consequences are not something you should have predicted;- there is no time to run an accelerated procurement under the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation;- there is no time to place a call off contract under an existing commercial agreement such as a framework or dynamic purchasing system; and- you have not done anything to cause or contribute to the need for extreme urgency.

Coronavirus: Clinical Trials

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to mitigate the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on clinical trials in (a) dementia and (b) other medical conditions.

Edward Argar: The Government remains strongly committed to supporting research into dementia and the United Kingdom research community is playing a significant role in the global effort to find a cure or a major disease-modifying treatment by 2025.The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) published a framework in May to support the restarting of research paused due to COVID-19 at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/restart-framework/24886The NIHR is supporting the research community to amend study protocols for COVID-19 security. Last week the NIHR published guidance that NIHR-funded research staff should not be deployed to frontline duties except in exceptional circumstances.

Dementia: Research

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to ensure the continuation of progress on dementia research during the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: The Government remains strongly committed to supporting research into dementia and the United Kingdom research community is playing a significant role in the global effort to find a cure or a major disease-modifying treatment by 2025.The Department’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) published a framework in May to support the restarting of research paused due to COVID-19 which is available at the following link:https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/restart-framework/24886The NIHR is supporting the research community to amend study protocols for COVID-19 security. Last week the NIHR published guidance that NIHR-funded research staff should not be deployed to frontline duties except in exceptional circumstances.

Prostate Cancer: Ultrasonics

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care,  what plans he has to support the development of the evidence base for high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy for prostate cancer.

Edward Argar: The National Institute for Health Research has funded, and supported, several research studies on high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy for prostate cancer over the last five years. This includes an award of £677,000 for the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial of partial prostate ablation (via HIFU) versus radical prostatectomy in intermediate risk unilateral clinically localised prostate cancer.

Childbirth and Perinatal Mortality: Research

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for research into (a) miscarriage, (b) premature birth and (c) stillbirth.

Colleen Fletcher: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding his Department provides for (a) miscarriage, (b) premature birth and (c) stillbirth research.

Edward Argar: The Department commissions research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is the largest public funder of health research in the United Kingdom.The NIHR funds a range of research in maternal and neonatal health focussing on the safety of maternity and neonatal services, and the national maternity ambition to halve maternal deaths, stillbirths and neonatal deaths and brain injury by 2025.From 2015-2020, NIHR Programmes invested £59.8 million on 61 awards conducting research into miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth. Additionally, the NIHR Policy Research Programme funds a Policy Research Unit dedicated to Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care research (PRU-MHC) (2019-2023) based at the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford and led by Professor Jenny Kurinczuk.

Hospital Beds: Private Sector

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the publication of the contracts on the use of private sector beds in response to the covid-19 outbreak.

Edward Argar: A Contract Award Notice in respect of each of the 26 individual contracts entered into by NHS England with independent sector hospital providers was published on 16 October 2020 by the Official Journal of the European Union. The Notice can be viewed at the following link:https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:492193-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML

Department for Education

Internet: Safety

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what meetings he has had with (a) the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, (b) the Home Secretary and (c) expert organisations on the Online Harms Bill.

Vicky Ford: Ministers have regular meetings and discussions with their ministerial colleagues on a range of issues, including the proposed legislation on online safety.I and many of my ministerial colleagues and representatives from expert organisations attended the virtual summit on hidden harms, which my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, hosted on 21 May. More details are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prime-ministers-virtual-summit-on-hidden-harms.Following the summit, the government reiterated its commitment to introducing a world-leading regulatory framework to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online.I will be meeting with my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Digital and Culture, to discuss our approach to online harms.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to incorporate assessment of the quality of careers advice in schools into the OFSTED inspection process.

Nick Gibb: Ofsted’s school inspections already include an assessment of the quality of careers advice in schools. Ofsted’s school inspection handbook states that inspectors should assess the effectiveness of careers programmes in line with the Government’s statutory guidance on careers advice. That includes an evaluation of the quality of careers information, education, advice and guidance given to pupils, and an assessment of how well that guidance encourages pupils to make good and informed choices about next steps in the careers to which they aspire.

Teachers: Males

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to retain male teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: The Department is working to increase the diversity of the teaching workforce. In October 2018, we published our Statement of Intent, setting out the Department’s commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce. The Department wants to see improved pathways and a workforce that supports the progression and retention of all teachers, regardless of their gender.In January 2019, the Department launched the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which set out several priorities for reform and investment. This included commitments to reduce workload; improved continuing professional development for teachers; and greater opportunities for flexible working. It also included the biggest teaching reform in a generation: the Early Career Framework (ECF) reforms, which will ensure that all new teachers have a mentor and dedicated time set aside to focus on developing the knowledge, practices and working habits to set them up for a fulfilling and successful career in teaching. Early roll-out of the ECF reforms started in Autumn 2020, with full national roll-out starting in Autumn 2021.In addition, one of the Department’s top priorities is to ensure that we continue to attract the high-quality teachers we need, regardless of their gender. We have announced plans for salaries for new teachers to rise to £30,000 by 2022-23. This will make starting salaries significantly more competitive in the graduate labour market.

Music: Coronavirus

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to help ensure the availability of music education in schools during the covid-19 outbreak.

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding available to music education in schools.

Nick Gibb: The Government published guidance for full opening of schools this academic year, and makes it clear that the curriculum should remain broad so that the majority of pupils are taught a full range of subjects over the year, including the arts. In Key Stage 4 and 5, the majority of pupils are expected to continue to study their examination subjects, including those who are due to take exams in music.There may be an additional risk of infection in environments where singing, and playing of wind or brass instruments, takes place. The guidance also sets out detailed advice on how schools can teach music safely. The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools#A.The Government has announced the biggest funding boost for schools in a decade which will give every school more money for every child. We are investing a total of £14.4 billion more in schools over the next three financial years, with a cash increase of £2.6 billion in 2020-21, and increases of £4.8 billion and £7.1 billion in 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively, compared to the financial year 2019-20. Schools have the autonomy to use these resources as they see best, to ensure that they teach a broad and balanced curriculum.In terms of wider support for music in schools, the Government provided £300 million for a network of Music Education Hubs between 2016 and 2020. In January, the Government announced a further £80 million investment in Music Education Hubs for the financial year 2020-21 to ensure all children, whatever their background, have access to a high-quality music education. The hubs continue to provide a range of opportunities for young people, including whole class instrumental teaching, individual lessons, ensembles, choirs and more. Schools should work with their hubs to ensure a quality music education for all pupils this year.

Hindi: GCE A-level and GCSE

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 2 October 2020 to Question 94998, how many people took (a) a GCSE and (b) an A-level qualification in the Hindi language in each year between 2009 and 2015.

Nick Gibb: Hindi is not currently offered at GCSE or A Level. The Department has no record of entries in Hindi at either GCSE or A level in the period 2009 to 2015.

Primary Education: Teachers

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) male and (b) female teachers there were in state primary schools in each of the last five years in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) Bexley.

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many (a) male and (b) female teachers there were in state secondary schools in each of the last five years in (i) England, (ii) Greater London and (iii) Bexley Borough.

Nick Gibb: Information on the number of teachers by gender in state funded primary and secondary schools for both National and Greater London regions can be viewed at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/8017d78a-c356-4a23-9f5d-84837bae3930.Information on the number of teachers by gender in all state funded schools in the Bexley local authority is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/babdd0b6-86b0-4a7c-be31-612a913d2ea1.The breakdown by school phase is not explicitly summarised in the publication. It can, however, be calculated from the individual school records which are published as part of the Schools Workforce Statistics Collection. This is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-school-workforce.

Education: Coronavirus

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the adequacy of the teaching received by children in (a) the North West and (b) the South East.

Nick Gibb: Getting all children back to school for the start of the academic year has rightly been a national priority. Latest figures show that over 99% of state-funded schools in both the North West and South East are open, and regional teams are working closely with local areas to address any barriers to attendance. The Government is grateful for all the hard work of teachers and staff in supporting pupils during this time.On 1 October, the Department announced a package of remote education support designed to help schools and colleges, build on and deliver their existing plans, in the event that individuals or groups of pupils are unable to attend school due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Schools will be able to access a new central support hub, where resources and information on remote education will be housed. This support has been co-designed with schools and includes a range of school-led webinars and resources intended to share good practice.The Department is also investing £1.5 million of additional funding to expand the EdTech Demonstrator programme. This is a peer support network offering advice, guidance and training to schools and colleges in effective use of technology, including how it can support remote education.The Department has made £4.84 million available for Oak National Academy, both for the summer term of the academic year 2019-20 and for the 2020-21 academic year, to provide free video lessons for reception up to year 11. It provides lessons across a broad range of subjects and includes specialist content for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. The support package can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/remote-education-during-coronavirus-covid-19.Routine Ofsted inspections will remain suspended for the autumn term, though Ofsted inspectors are conducting visits in the autumn term. The intention is for Ofsted to resume routine school inspections from January 2021, which will include inspectors assessing the quality of education within schools, with this date being kept under review.

GCSE

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure pupils are adequately supported ahead of GCSE exams in summer 2021.

Nick Gibb: In July, Ofqual consulted on arrangements for GCSEs, AS levels and A levels in 2021, and its decisions on the changes proposed were published on 3 August. Changes to the content of assessments for certain subjects will reduce pressure on teachers and students.The wellbeing of students is our key concern. Schools and colleges are making extraordinary efforts to ensure pupils get the best possible education this year and catch up on any learning lost. On 12 October, the Department confirmed that exams will go ahead next year and most AS level, A level and GCSE exams will be delayed by three weeks to give pupils more time to catch up on their education. The delay to exams allows extra time for teaching and preparation.The Government announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on the additional activities required to support children and young people to catch up after a period of disruption to their education. We also announced a new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils. This will increase access to high-quality tuition for disadvantaged and vulnerable children and young people, helping to accelerate their academic progress and tackling the attainment gap between them and their peers. As part of this, we announced a 16-19 Tuition Fund, allocating up to £96 million as a one-off, one year, ring-fenced grant to school sixth forms and 16-19 colleges. This will provide small group tutoring activity for disadvantaged 16-19 students whose studies have been disrupted as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Teachers: Males

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to encourage the recruitment of more male teachers.

Nick Gibb: The Department is working to increase the diversity of the teaching workforce. In October 2018, we published our Statement of Intent, setting out the Department's commitment to increasing the diversity of the teaching workforce. The Department wants to see improved pathways and a workforce that supports the progression and retention of all teachers, regardless of their gender.The Department’s ‘Teaching – Every Lesson Shapes A Life’ recruitment campaign is targeted at audiences of students, recent graduates and potential career changers inclusive of all genders, and the Department takes every effort to ensure that our advertising is fully reflective of this across the full range of marketing materials we use.

Children: Disability

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to implement increased access to respite care for parents and families of disabled children during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: Supporting the most vulnerable children and young people is a priority for us, especially at this time. We know that this period is particularly hard for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), their families, and those who support them.Short breaks (or ‘respite care’) are funded opportunities for disabled children and young people to be cared for away from their family homes, which local authorities have a statutory duty to provide.Local authorities have been allocated a further £4.6 billion to help their communities through the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding is un-ringfenced, recognising that local authorities are best placed to decide how to meet the major COVID-19 service pressures in their local area. This funding can support local authorities to deliver their respite offers (in line with their existing duties) and to address increased costs.We have also committed, this year, £37.3 million (including £10 million in response to the COVID-19 outbreak) to the Family Fund, which provides grants to low-income families caring for disabled children or seriously ill children, including for family breaks.We have gathered more detailed examples of innovative ways of delivering short breaks during the COVID-19 outbreak, including using direct payments and carrying out virtual direct activities. We have communicated best practice to Directors of Children's Services and encouraged local authorities to adopt a flexible approach, to ensure that as many disabled children and young people as possible can continue to access these respite services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Special Educational Needs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that children with SEND have an up-to-date Education, Health and Care Plan before returning to school during the covid-19 outbreak.

Vicky Ford: The temporary changes that were made to two aspects of the law on education, health and care (EHC) needs assessments and plan processes, at the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, have now ceased. Any case started, or in progress, since the temporary changes to timescales for EHC plans expired on 25 September, is now subject to the usual statutory timescales, and all therapies and support that would usually be in place for children with EHC plans should now have been restored.The Chief Nurse of Public Health England has written to all Directors of Nursing advising that professionals supporting children and families, such as health visitors, school nurses, designated safeguarding officers and nurses supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), should not be redeployed to other services. This ensures ongoing support from health bodies towards making sure that all EHC plan assessments and reviews are up to date.Alongside this, the department has held frequent conversations with local authority SEND and health leaders since March, to explore the challenges they face and to provide support in undertaking their statutory duties for EHC plans. When local authorities have had a need for a Written Statement of Action, identified through their local area inspection, we have continued to work with them throughout the COVID-19 outbreak on improvement through our team of specialist advisors. Each year we also deliver a training programme to local authorities and health and social care staff, on their statutory duties for EHC plans and reviews, and we have continued to do this on a virtual basis.In addition, we have started a programme of visits by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission working with local areas to understand the experiences of children and young people with SEND and their families during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to support local areas to prioritise and meet their needs.

Music: Education

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to publish the refreshed National Plan for Music Education.

Nick Gibb: A call for evidence on music education was launched on 9 February 2020 and closed on 13 March 2020, the findings from which will inform the refreshed National Plan for Music Education. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the refresh of the plan is currently on hold but will be published in due course.

Ministry of Justice

Prisons: Coronavirus

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Answer of 12 June 2020 to Question 54072 on Prisons: Coronavirus, what recent assessment he has made of levels of (a) self-harm, (b) attempted suicide, (c) suicide, (d) violence between prisoners, (e) attacks on prison staff and (f) mental health crises in prisons during the covid-19 outbreak.

Lucy Frazer: Our most recently published Safety in Custody statistics which contains data on assaults and self-harm, cover the period up to the end of March 2020 and therefore do not cover the majority of the covid-19 outbreak.These figures show that the number of self-harm incidents increased by 11% in the 12 months to March 2020, although have decreased in the past two quarters, including a 6% decrease in the latest quarter.Assaults up to March 2020 are down 8% from the 12 months to March 2019, and we have seen reductions in this for the last four quarters. Similarly, assaults on staff have decreased by 5% in the year to March 2020.In the 12 months to June 2020 self-inflicted deaths in prison custody decreased by 13% from the previous 12 months.Figures for assaults and self-harm up to the end of June, and deaths to the end of October will be published on 29 October 2020Safety has remained a priority throughout the pandemic, and we recognise the need to remain vigilant to the risks to prisoners and staff as impacts of the virus continue.We are continuing to provide care and support to people at risk of self-harm or suicide through ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) case management and provide a range of distraction packs and in-cell activities. We are also working with the Samaritans to ensure that the Listener peer support scheme continues to function effectively.Our plan for easing restrictions in prisons, and re-introducing them where necessary, is set out in the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services and is guided by public health advice, whilst ensuring we can keep staff and prisoners safe.

Youth Offending Teams: Training

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to page 9 of the 2020 UK annual report on modern slavery, if he will publish the (a) dates and (b) content of the guidance and training on criminal exploitation provided to Youth Offending Teams.

Lucy Frazer: We are clear that tackling child criminal exploitation is key to ensure improved outcomes for children.Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) are run by local authorities which are responsible for putting in place training to meet the needs of their area. The approach of the Crown Prosecution Service in providing training in relation to criminal exploitation and the Modern Slavery Act 2015 has been to engage with YOTs locally, often alongside local community policing. This training has included explaining how the defence under section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 operates, and the role that YOTs have in that process. There are no plans to publish further details of individual training with YOT teams across the country.The CPS has not contributed to any new guidance for YOTs.

Probation

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of publishing Multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) serious case reviews following serious further offences by people under MAPPA supervision.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA) serious case reviews following serious further offences by people under MAPPA supervision have been completed in each of the last five years.

Lucy Frazer: Under the statutory guidance, it is for the Strategic Management Board (SMB) of the MAPPA area to commission a serious case review (SCR). The SMB must commission an SCR where a MAPPA offender managed at either Level 2 or 3 is charged with committing an offence of murder, manslaughter, rape, or attempted murder or rape. The SMB may decide to conduct an SCR, if an offender managed at Level 1 is charged with any of those offences or if the SMB considers that is in the public interest to undertake an SCR where one is not required.The purpose of an SCR is to determine how effectively the various agencies worked together under the MAPPA framework to assess and manage the risks of the offender concerned and, where there were shortcomings, to identify the improvements needed, either locally or nationally.Officials regularly revise the statutory guidance, to ensure that it reflects any legislative changes and incorporates best operational practice. As part of the rolling programme of revising the guidance, my officials are currently consulting on whether to make changes to the criteria for mandatory SCRs. Once this is complete, I will ask officials to seek views from SMBs as to the merits of publishing SCRs.The published MAPPA Annual Report includes data on the number of SCRs the SMB commissioned that year for Level 2 and Level 3 cases. The data for 2019/20 will be published as National Statistics in the MAPPA Annual Report on 29 October 2020. However, the table below shows statistics for the previous 5 years: Table 1 Number of SCRs for Level 2 and Level 3 cases.YearLevel 2Level 32014/151102015/161132016/17602017/18612018/1991 In addition to the above table, SMBs conducted a number of discretionary reviews for Level 1 cases. Table 2 Number of discretionary reviews Level 1 cases.YearLevel 12014/1522015/1642016/1732017/1822018/192Table notes:These figures are based on information provided to the National MAPPA Team by individual MAPPA areas.

Criminal Justice Royal Commission

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his timescale is for announcing the (a) Chair, (b) timetable and (c) terms of reference of the proposed Royal Commission on Criminal Justice announced in the Queen's Speech of December 2019.

Kit Malthouse: The Royal Commission is an opportunity to undertake independent review of key issues in the criminal justice system. It is also an opportunity to learn from the experience of the coronavirus pandemic to ensure that the system is more resilient.We are carefully considering the scope, timing and Terms of Reference for the Commission and will update the House in due course.

Manufacturing Industries: Clothing

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for all forms of labour exploitation in garment factories since 1 January 2016.

Chris Philp: The Ministry of Justice has published information on prosecutions, convictions and sentences for offences relating to labour exploitation such as modern slavery, up to December 2019, which is available in the ‘Principal offence proceeding and outcomes’ data tool, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/888344/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx Detailed information on the circumstances of cases, including locations or type of labour, may be held on court record but to be able to identify these cases we would have to access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Prisoners: Telephones

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of increased PIN credit provided to prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak on (a) strength of family ties, (b) levels of mental health and wellbeing and (c) levels of risk of outbreaks in prisons.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimates he has made of the effect of increased (a) PIN credit and (b) access to in-cell telephony provided to prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak on the number of calls made to (a) family members, (b) support workers and (c) others in the community.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans the Government has for the (a) provision of PIN credit and (b) cost of making calls in prisons during the next six months of the covid-19 outbreak.

Lucy Frazer: We fully recognise the importance of family contact for those in custody both in terms of supporting wellbeing and reducing the risk of reoffending. This is why we introduced a range of measures to minimise the impacts of the suspension of visits in March. This included introducing almost 1,300 secure mobile PIN phone handsets which are being used to contact family and friends as well as a range of support lines. We also provided additional pin credit for calls, bolstered support for the Prisoner’s Families Helpline and introduced secure video calls which are currently operating in over 100 prisons across England and Wales.Since 2 April around 455,000 calls have been made using these secure mobile phones, meaning that there has been an average daily amount of just below 4,000 calls.Prisoners and those in the youth estate can call anyone on their approved PIN phone lists which are not restricted to family or friends. Quantitative assessments have not been carried out in relation to calls made to different groups of contacts. However, HM Chief Inspector of Prisons Annual Report 2019–20 noted that 90% of prisoners they surveyed said they were able to use the telephone every day, and that an increasing number of prisons had installed in-cell telephones.We have reintroduced face-to-face visits in line with the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services with prisons commencing when it was safe to do so in an adapted manner. However, we will continue to provide additional support to enable prisoners to maintain contact and support where prison regimes are restricted and will keep this under regular review.

Cemeteries

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the merits of regulating privately owned natural burial grounds.

Alex Chalk: Guidance on the operation of natural burial grounds and cemeteries is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/natural-burial-ground-guidance-for-operators. The Government anticipates that those operating private burial grounds will adhere to the standards and principles underpinning the framework of regulation and guidance which applies to local authority burial grounds.The Law Commission’s current Programme of Law Reform includes a project to consider modernising and streamlining the law governing the disposal of human remains, with a view to putting forward a legal framework for the future.

Treasury

Inland Waterways: Freight

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Secretary of State for Transport on the Canal and River Trust's recommendation for Government funding of £200m for capital works to enable more freight to be carried on inland waterways.

Steve Barclay: The Chancellor and HM Treasury ministers have regular conversations with the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Secretary of State for the Department of Transport in respect of a wide range of capital investment schemes. Any specific bids from departments for capital investment will be discussed at the Spending Review.

Medicine: Research

Lee Anderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on sectoral support for charity-funded medical research during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kemi Badenoch: Medical research charities are an integral part of the United Kingdom’s world-leading life sciences sector and we welcome the interest of honourable members in this area. The government is monitoring the impact of Covid-19 on the work of medical research charities. To this effect, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department of Health and Social Care is closely liaising with the Association of Medical Research Charities, as well as individual charities, to understand the impact of the pandemic on this sector and identify how best the Government and charities can work together to ensure that patients continue benefiting from charity funded research.

Business: Coronavirus

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing additional lending schemes for (a) hospitality and (b) other businesses experiencing an immediate and open-ended erosion of their business viability as a result of the covid-19 outbreak and associated restrictions.

Kemi Badenoch: Through the Chancellor’s Winter Economy Plan, the Government continues to protect jobs and struggling businesses across the most impacted areas of the UK. As part of this plan, the Chancellor announced that we have started work on a new, successor loan scheme, set to begin in January. The Chancellor also announced an extension to the application deadlines for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Scheme (CBILS), the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Scheme (CLBILS), the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) and the Future Fund to a single date, 30 November. This provides additional time for businesses who need support to apply for government-backed finance.The Government recognises that the necessary restrictions introduced through the Tier system have been disruptive for businesses. That is why we have set out an expanded package of support for businesses who are legally required to close, as well as for those who are not forced to close, but who face reduced demand due to additional restrictions on socialising. The Job Support Scheme will now guarantee that most workers working a minimum of 20% of hours receive at least 73% of their usual wages, while workers whose employers have been closed by health restrictions will be guaranteed two thirds of their wages. Hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses in Tier 2 and Tier 3 areas will now also be eligible to receive a grant of up to £2,100 and £3,000, respectively, according to the value of their premises. Sufficient funding will be allocated to Local Authorities to distribute.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will (a) conduct and (b) publish an equality impact assessment of the (i) financial and (ii) social measures the Government has taken to support people during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kemi Badenoch: The Treasury takes care to pay due regard to the equality impacts of its policy decisions relating to the Covid-19 outbreak, in line with all legal requirements and the Government’s commitment to promoting equality. There are internal procedural requirements and support in place for ensuring that such considerations inform decisions taken by Ministers.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of automatically allocating additional financial and economic support to areas where covid-19 risks and associated restrictions are increased and prolonged relative to the rest of the UK.

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing scaled, automatic additional financial support to regions which move into (a) high and (b) very high covid-19 local alert levels.

Kemi Badenoch: As measures to control the virus change, government support has evolved. The government continues to take a flexible approach and recognises the evolving situation with the pandemic and health restrictions, and the impact this is having on areas. Which is why on 22 October, the Chancellor announced a package specifically for those businesses which are not forced to close, but face reduced demand due to additional social distancing restrictions:o Two changes to the Job Support Scheme (JSS): there will be a significant reduction in the employer contribution to employee wages. And there will be also a reduction in time required for an employee to be in work. Both changes will benefit employers, provide greater flexibility and help protect more jobs.o An increase in the generosity of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme to mirror the new generosity of the JSS for employed workers.o Additional funding to allow Local Authorities in Tier 2 areas to make cash grants to businesses that can remain open. These grants are primarily aimed at hospitality, leisure and accommodation business premises and are worth 70% of the value of the grants provided to closed businesses in Tier 3. Moreover, in July we announced an unprecedented guarantee that the devolved administrations would receive at least £12.7 billion in additional resource funding this year to help them respond to Covid-19. As of 9 October, we have now uplifted that by £1.3 billion, to at least £14 billion. This means a total increase this year of at least £2.4 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive, on top of their Spring Budget 20 funding. This is in addition to the UK-wide measures that have directly supported the people and businesses in Northern Ireland. We continue to work with devolved administrations to support them contain the spread of Covid-19.  We continue to review our policies to ensure we are providing the right support to local areas under increased restrictions.

Business: Coronavirus

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential merits of reopening business support grant funding schemes for allocation by local authorities.

Kemi Badenoch: The Chancellor recently announced that we will be providing additional funding to Local Authorities in Tier 2 areas to allow them to make grants of up to £2,100 per month to hospitality, leisure, and hotel/B&B businesses affected by the restrictions on socialising in those areas. In addition, any business across England which is legally closed will receive grants worth up to £3,000 per month. Finally, additional funding has been provided local authorities in Tier 3, to enable them to support businesses which can remain open but which are nonetheless severely affected by restrictions on socialising.

Carbon Emissions: Taxation

Alan Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to phase out the Carbon Price Support Cap; and if he will make a statement.

Kemi Badenoch: At Spring Budget 2020, the Government announced that the Carbon Price Support rate would be frozen at £18/tCO2 in 2021/22. The Carbon Price Support rate is recognised as one of the main drivers of the significant decline in electricity sector emissions and coal generation in Great Britain over recent years, and it continues to support the decarbonisation of electricity across the country and the Government’s Net Zero commitment. HM Treasury keeps all taxes under review, and announcements on the future rate of the Carbon Price will be made as appropriate at fiscal events.

Public Expenditure: Coronavirus

Stephen Farry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the International Monetary Fund’s October 2020 Fiscal Monitor, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a programme of public investment to help economic recovery from the effects of the covid-19 outbreak.

Steve Barclay: In responding to the Covid-19 outbreak the government has announced unprecedented support for families, businesses, and self-employed people. The immediate focus for the government’s economic and fiscal strategy continues to be on supporting workers and businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. The government is conducting a one-year Spending Review, which will set departmental resource and capital budgets for 2021-22 and Devolved Administrations block grants for the same period. Alongside providing enhanced support for public services and certainty for departments to tackle Covid-19 and deliver our Plan for Jobs to support employment, the SR will invest in infrastructure to keep up the momentum of our ambitious plans to unite and level up, drive our economic recovery and build back better. Multi-year NHS and schools resource settlements will be fully funded, as will priority infrastructure projects. The Spending Review will conclude in late November.

Renewable Energy: VAT

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of removing VAT on (a) domestic renewables and (b) installations to help (i) grow the green economy and (ii) stimulate the uptake of microgeneration on domestic properties.

Tim Farron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will remove VAT on (a) domestic renewables and (b) installations for a period of 10 years to help (i) stimulate the green economy and (ii) the uptake of microgeneration.

Jesse Norman: Under current VAT rules, the installation of water and wind turbines is subject to the standard rate of VAT. However, the installation of other energy saving materials that generate domestic energy, such as solar panels and micro combined heat and power units, are subject to the reduced rate of VAT when certain conditions are met. Although there are no current plans to extend the scope of the relief already in place, the Government keeps all taxes under review.

Beekeeping: Equipment

Luke Pollard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the contribution to the public purse of VAT duties paid by bee keepers for bee keeping equipment in the last 12 months.

Jesse Norman: HMRC do not hold data on VAT collected specifically from the activities of bee keepers. HMRC record and publish annually details of VAT receipts and liabilities across trade sectors and subsectors, but not of activities at this level of detail. HMRC do not hold information on VAT revenue from specific products or services because businesses are not required to provide figures at a product level on their VAT returns, as this would impose an excessive administrative burden.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme: Morley and Outwood

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people are in receipt of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme in Morley and Outwood constituency.

Jesse Norman: By 31 July 2020, 3,500 individuals in the Morley and Outwood constituency had claimed the first grant for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme. By 30 September 2020, 3,100 individuals in the Morley and Outwood constituency had claimed the second grant for the Self Employment Income Support Scheme. These figures were taken from the Self Employment Income Support Scheme statistics published on 21 August and 22 October respectively.

Exports: VAT

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the effect on the number of jobs in the tourism sector of ending the VAT Retail Export Scheme; and what steps he is taking to ensure the retention of jobs in that sector after the end of that scheme.

Jesse Norman: The Government recognises the challenges the tourism sector is facing and is spending billions of pounds supporting people, families and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chancellor announced the Winter Economy Plan on 24 September. This includes an extension to the temporary 5 per cent reduced rate of VAT on goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors from 12 January to 31 March 2021. This alone provides continued support for the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and protection for 2.4 million jobs in the tourism and hospitality sectors. This is in addition to the 100% business rates holiday for many businesses, which is worth over £10 billion, and a £1,000 job retention bonus for bringing furloughed employees back to work. The Winter Plan also provides further support to businesses and jobs over the coming months, including through the Job Support Scheme which will protect millions of jobs.

Business: Coronavirus

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 13 October 2020 to Question 99086 on Business: Coronavirus, what assessment he has made of the effect of the VAT reduction policy on businesses that are prevented from trading as a result of covid-19 restrictions.

Jesse Norman: In order to support the cash flow and viability of over 150,000 businesses and to protect 2.4 million jobs, the Government has applied a temporary reduced rate of VAT (5 per cent) to goods and services supplied by the tourism and hospitality sectors. This relief is estimated to be worth over £3 billion to the tourism and hospitality sectors. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates. For those businesses which are legally forced to close, such as in Tier 3, the Chancellor recently expanded the Job Support Scheme to support businesses.

Manufacturing Industries: Clothing

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for non-payment of the national minimum wage to garment factory workers since 1 January 2016.

Jesse Norman: HMRC enforces the National Minimum?Wage (NMW)?and?National Living Wage (NLW) in line with the law and policy set out by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Breaches of NMW legislation are normally a civil (non-criminal) matter which attract penalties of up to 200% of the identified wage arrears and public naming. Prosecutions can be lengthy and cause delays in recovering arrears for workers and do not necessarily guarantee payment. HMRC therefore balance recovering NMW arrears for workers as quickly as possible with the robust enforcement of the NMW when deciding whether to pursue prosecution. Consequently, prosecution is reserved for the most serious NMW offences involving obstruction, falsifying of documents or wilful failure to pay workers the minimum wage, and such cases are referred to the CPS who decide whether to prosecute. There have been no prosecutions or convictions for the non-payment of the NMW to textile factory workers since 1 January 2016. However, between 1 January 2016 and 19 October 2020 HMRC’s NMW team has investigated more than 100 textile trade employers recovering over £190,000 in wage arrears for over 400 textile workers, and issued penalties amounting to over £330,000. HMRC recognise that there are a range of cross-agency risks in the textile sector supply chain, and have participated in a number of joint operations with other Government departments including the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority, Police, the Health & Safety Executive, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, Department for Work and Pensions and the National Crime Agency, to investigate all forms of labour exploitation.

Unemployment: Training

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Education on the adequacy of (a) funding for education and (b) skills provision to support the unemployed.

Steve Barclay: Treasury Ministers regularly meet with the Secretary of State for Education to discuss education funding. The Government has committed to a £1 billion package to help students catch up on lost learning and £100 million to boost remote education. This is in addition to the £7.1 billion of core funding for schools announced at the 2019 spending round. On skills provision to support the unemployed, in his Plan for Jobs, the Chancellor announced: new incentives to boost apprenticeships, funding to triple the number of traineeships and sector-based work academy placements, additional investment in the National Careers Service to support more adults with high quality careers guidance, and funding for school and college leavers to study high value courses when there are not employment opportunities available to them.Additionally, from next April, adults who do not have a full Level 3 qualification will be able to take Level 3 qualifications in high value subjects for free. This support complements existing support for unemployed adults, funded through the Adult Education Budget.

Free Zones

Nick Fletcher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to his Department's news story entitled Government outlines new plans for Freeports to turbo-charge post-Brexit trade published on 7 October 2020, how many of the planned freeports are expected to be inland.

Steve Barclay: The government plans to establish Freeports across the UK. These will be national hubs for trade, innovation and commerce, regenerating communities across the UK. Freeports will spread jobs, investment and opportunity to towns and cities up and down the country by unleashing the economic potential of our ports. We recently published our response to the Freeports consultation, clearly outlining a wide range of measures to create vibrant, innovative Freeports which are attractive to domestic and international investors looking to start or grow their UK operations. The Freeports consultation response is publicly available online at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/freeports-consultation As outlined in the consultation response, we are inviting ports of all modes (air, sea and rail), and businesses, universities and local authorities from across the country to reach out to each other, collaborate and begin to build a strategy for how their region can best meet our ambition. Specific locations will be chosen in due course according to a fair, transparent and robust bidding process; details of which will be published in due course.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Africa: Education

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding he has allocated to Girls Education Challenge in (a) Ethiopia, (b) Ghana, (c) Kenya, (d) Democratic Republic of Congo, (e) Mozambique, (f) Nepal, (g) Nigeria, (h) Rwanda, (i) Sierra Leone, (j) Tanzania, (k) Uganda, (l) Zambia and (m) Zimbabwe in the 2020-21 financial year.

James Duddridge: The forecasted spend for the Girls' Education Challenge in Financial Year (F/Y) 20/21 in these countries is broken down as follows:CountryF/Y 20/21Ethiopa£6,292,667Ghana£6,731,469Kenya£15,531,221DRC£4,936,013Mozambique£3,165,930Nepal£4,235,398Nigeria£1,769,365Rwanda£0Sierra Leone£7,230,340Tanzania£2,189,224Uganda£3,253,799Zambia£693,339Zimbabwe£7,520,593Total£63,549,358

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of (a) whether the (i) closure of Sana’a international airport from August 2016-February 2020 and (ii) other restrictions placed on imports of food and medicine into Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition constitute a pattern indicating the deliberate targeting of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population prohibited by Article 54 of the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions and (b) the implications for her policies on arms export controls of the conclusion of that initial assessment.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of (a) whether the use of (i) rockets and mortars and (ii) other indirect-fire weapon systems with wide-area impact by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen (A) at Al-Raqw market in Munabbih between 20 November and 24 December 2019 and (B) on other occasions constitute a pattern indicating the use of indiscriminate attacks prohibited by Article 51(4) of the 1977 Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions and (b) the implications for her policies on arms export controls of the conclusion of that initial assessment.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of (a) whether the beating, electrocution, suspension in painful positions, sexual violence and other forms of ill-treatment committed against detainees of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen at (i) the Mar'ib political security prison and (ii) elsewhere constitute a pattern indicating the use of physical and mental torture against prisoners detained during conflict prohibited by Article 19 of the Geneva Conventions and (b) the implications for her policies on arms export controls of the conclusion of that initial assessment.

James Cleverly: We take very seriously all allegations of breaches of the Geneva Conventions. The UK urges the parties to the conflict to investigate these allegations and take action to promote and protect international humanitarian law. The Government takes its export responsibilities seriously and assesses all export licences in accordance with strict licensing criteria. We will not issue any export licences where to do so would be inconsistent with these criteria. Whenever the UK receives reports of alleged violations of international humanitarian law in connection with countries to whom arms and military equipment are licensed for export, we routinely seek information from all credible sources, including from Non Governmental Organisations and international organisations.

Overseas Aid

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2020 to Question 102832 on Overseas Aid, which Departments applied for funding from the Integrated Activity Fund for the 13 projects that were subject to Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments.

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2020 to Question 102832 on Overseas Aid, which Government Departments applied for funding under the Integrated Activity Fund in 2018-19 for the 31 projects where no Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments were conducted.

James Cleverly: During the 2018-19 financial year the Integrated Activity Fund received applications for funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Cabinet Office, the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for International Trade, the Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Overseas Aid

Brendan O'Hara: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2020 to Question 102832 on Overseas Aid, which of the 44 projects delivered through the Integrated Activity Fund in 2018-19 were delivered solely within one country; and what those countries are.

James Cleverly: In 2018-19, the Integrated Activity Fund delivered 29 projects solely within Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Housing

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support families who are being evicted from military homes owned by Annington Homes.

Jeremy Quin: I would like to draw the attention of the hon. Member to the Ministry of Defence Tenants: Evictions debate held in the chamber on 15 October 2020 (Hansard Volume 682, 636:644) and I will write with further details.

Twentyshilling Hill Wind Farm

David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what (a) recent progress has been made on the Twenty Shilling Windfarm agreement and (b) assessment he has made of when that agreement will be concluded.

Jeremy Quin: Ministry of Defence (MOD) officials are working collaboratively with the developer to see if a Mitigation Scheme could be devised to allow the Twenty Shilling windfarm to be built whilst protecting the nearby Eskdalemuir Seismological Array. The scheme is complex and covers noise monitoring, testing, reporting, compliance, and curtailment. A legal agreement would need to be reached by all parties, that legal agreement is progressing. If a mitigation scheme is achievable MOD officials aim to be in a position to conclude the legal agreement in the next few months, subject to negotiation.

Department for Work and Pensions

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Marco Longhi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of reclassifying (a) myalgic encephalomyelitis and (b) chronic fatigue syndrome as a disability rather than as an illness for the purposes of (a) benefit assessments and (b) employee rights.

Justin Tomlinson: Entitlement to health and disability-related benefits is determined by the functional effects of a person’s disability or health condition. Classification of the disability or condition is irrelevant for the purposes of benefit assessment. With regard to employee rights, though they are not automatically treated as a disability under the Equality Act 2010, people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome can be treated as disabled depending upon the effect it has on their daily life. ME is specifically listed amongst “impairments with fluctuating or recurring effects” in the 2010 Act Guidance document https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/85010/disability-definition.pdf. Any employment rights would then flow from being classified as disabled under the Equality Act 2010.

Employment: Coronavirus

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support is being made available for people who are required to self-isolate and not able to access (a) statutory sick pay or (b) the £500 covid-19 self-isolation grant.

Justin Tomlinson: People who are infected with Covid-19, or self-isolating in line with Government guidance are eligible for ESA, subject to the normal conditions of entitlement. We have removed the waiting days and claimants will be treated as having Limited Capability for Work in ESA without the requirement for fit notes or a Work Capability Assessment from day one. Households may also be able to claim Universal Credit where eligible. New claim advances are available urgently if a claimant needs financial support. These advances allow claimants to receive up to 100% of their estimated Universal Credit payment upfront. The Budget already announced that claimants will be able to access advances via phone or online, instead of having to attend the jobcentre. This applies to all claimants, including those who are required to self-isolate.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

East Suffolk Council: Finance

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to provide financial support to East Suffolk District Council to employ additional port health officers at Felixstowe port in the event that the UK and the EU do not reach agreement on their future relationship after the transition period.

Victoria Prentis: The Border Operating Model, published on 13 July and updated on 8 October, sets out the new systems and processes required to deliver sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls for goods imported from the EU. These will be introduced in a phased approach from January 2021 to July 2021. Under this approach, port health authorities (PHAs) will not be required to carry out any new SPS checks on EU goods until 1 April 2021. Defra is working with PHAs across England, including Felixstowe, to ensure recruitment and training of the additional staff required is completed in time. Defra recently launched a fund to assist PHAs, which will be administered as grants provided under section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003 to local authorities in England. The fund closed for applications on 13 September 2020 and we are currently assessing the bids.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Louise Haigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate he has made of the average daily volume of (a) goods and (b) goods requiring documentary paperwork for SPS checks travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the event that the UK and EU do not reach an agreement on those checks.

Victoria Prentis: Defra and Daera are working together to ensure that both trade and the movement of goods will continue at the end of the Transition Period. Outcomes from this work, including the process by which controls are conducted, and their frequency (including the level of physical checks required) are being discussed with the EU in the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee. Discussions are based on the context of the provision in the Protocol that both parties must use their "best endeavours" to avoid controls at Northern Ireland ports.

Agriculture: Seasonal Workers

Dave Doogan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will (a) hold discussions with industry (i) bodies and (ii) leaders on the proportion of seasonal agricultural workers that were from the UK workforce and (b) use the results of those discussions when presenting proposals for the future of seasonal agricultural work to the Home Secretary.

Victoria Prentis: Defra works closely with industry bodies and leaders, regularly speaking with recruiters, growers, unions and associations, and making use of all available information and evidence to understand the labour supply picture for the agri-food supply chain.Industry reports that supply of seasonal labour has been sufficient across the main horticultural sectors so far this year. Through the ‘Pick for Britain’ campaign, Defra has collaborated with industry to raise the profile of seasonal work on farms. The Pick for Britain website has received nearly 2 million unique page views since its launch but Defra does not hold any information about specific vacancies, interviews or people in jobs as that information is held by individual companies.The horticultural sector will continue to be able to rely on EU nationals living in the UK with settled or pre-settled status. Around 3.7 million EU citizens and their families have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme and the application deadline is not until 30 June 2021. EU nationals who have settled status can continue to travel to the UK to do seasonal work in 2021.On 19 February, the Government announced that the annual quota for this second year of the?Seasonal Workers Pilot scheme would increase from 2,500 to 10,000 places. The Pilot has provided thousands of non-EU workers to farms across the UK this year to undertake seasonal employment in the edible horticulture sector. Defra will continue to work closely with the Home Office on seasonal agricultural workers and the needs of the sector.

Buses: Electric Vehicles and Hydrogen

Paul Girvan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on bringing forward the £3 billion investment for 4,000 hydrogen and electric buses announced in February 2020.

Rebecca Pow: My department works closely with the Department for Transport through our shared Joint Air Quality Unit. As a result, officials in both departments have regular engagement to ensure evolving bus policy considers the potential impacts on air quality, including the development of the policy on 4,000 new zero emission buses.

Forests: Wakefield

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to protect ancient woodlands in Wakefield constituency.

Rebecca Pow: The irreplaceable nature of ancient woodlands as a habitat is recognised in our 25 Year Environment Plan. We therefore strengthened the protection of ancient woodlands through the National Planning Policy Framework and guidance to planners. These outline that developments should be refused if they would lead to the deterioration of ancient woodland and veteran trees, unless there are exceptional reasons and suitable compensation measures. This change reflects the importance of ancient woodlands to native biodiversity, our landscapes, and our communities.

Symphony Environmental: Plastics

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Symphony Environmental Technologies' d2p oxo-biodegradable technology.

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Bio-based and Biodegradable Industries Association's campaign on oxo-degradable plastic.

Rebecca Pow: The government recognises that innovation into biodegradable plastics could help reduce the environmental impacts of plastics if they are disposed of in the right way. However, this is often not the case. We are concerned that, in the absence of robust and comprehensive standards, claims about the biodegradability of plastic-based products cannot be verified leading to potential confusion in the market place, possible increased levels of consumption and potential environmental harm at the point of disposal. In 2015, a government report concluded that existing biodegradable standards are only applicable to very specific conditions such as industrial composters. ?A review of oxo-biodegradable plastics has also conducted by the Hazardous Substance Advisory Committee in 2019. This can be found on their website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/hazardous-substances-advisory-committee  As a consequence of these concerns, the government published a call for evidence last year to help consider the development of product standards or certification criteria for bio-based, biodegradable, and compostable plastics as well as to better understand their effects on the environment and our current waste system. The call for evidence closed on the 14 October 2019 and we are currently analysing the responses received. We will publish a government response before the end of the year. You can find out more information here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/standards-for-biodegradable-compostable-and-bio-based-plastics-call-for-evidence

Environment Bill

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many organisations (a) his Department has asked to sign and (b) have signed non-disclosure agreements in relation to the Environment Bill.

Rebecca Pow: No non-disclosure agreements have been signed in relation to the Environment Bill other than by those contracted by the Government to undertake work on the long-term implementation of Bill policies. No non-disclosure agreements have been signed which relate to the drafting of Environment Bill legislation or amendments. Defra has asked two contractors to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of their contracts to undertake work in relation to long-term work on implementation of policies introduced by the Environment Bill. Both of those contractors who have been asked to sign non-disclosure agreements have done so. These are standard non-disclosure agreements for any company or individual carrying out work for the Government.

River Calder: Pollution Control

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to reduce pollution in the river Calder.

Rebecca Pow: The River Calder comes under the Humber River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) which provides a framework for protecting and enhancing the water environment. The Environment Agency (EA) is currently updating the RBMP to make it more ambitious in addressing plastic pollution and managing water in a changing climate. The EA is considering responses to a recent consultation on these proposals and will produce draft plans for each catchment, setting out comprehensive measures to protect and enhance the water environment, meet the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and support regulation of those sectors that may cause pollution. The Lower Calder’s (around Wakefield) WFD status is ‘moderate’. To improve water quality, the EA is working on a range of partnership projects with local communities across the Calder catchment. One example is the £1.3 million ‘Calder Greening’ project near Mytholmroyd. Here the EA is working with Calderdale Council and Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to create a wetland area, improve river bank habitats, and is working with landowners to reduce sediment and treat invasive plant species. The EA also supports the River Calder Catchment Partnership, hosted by the Calder and Colne Rivers Trust to deliver strategic catchment plans for the river and wider environment. To prevent pollution of the River Calder, the EA regulates a wide range of industrial and waste management sites. This includes Yorkshire Water Services Ltd and discharges to the River Calder from their sewage treatment sites. The EA provides 24 hour pollution incident response cover, including attendance at serious water pollution incidents. The EA also works with Wakefield Council and Canal and Rivers Trust to provide advice and guidance to local businesses to improve water quality through the use of effective surface water management plans.

Flood Control: Taxation

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential benefits of bringing forward legislative proposals to allow local councils to raise flood levies.

Rebecca Pow: The Government is investing a record £5.2 billion of capital funding in the flood and coastal defence programme from 2021-27. As well as central Government funding there are a number of other funding sources for flood and coastal erosion risk management. Partnership funding can be secured from a range of sources including through local levy, local beneficiaries, partners and growth funds. The Environment Agency (EA) may issue levies to the lead local flood authority for an area (local levy) subject to approval of the relevant Regional Flood and Coastal Committee. In 2018/19, £35.5 million of local levy funding was raised by the EA in this way. Coastal authorities may carry out coast protection work in accordance with a works scheme under the Coast Protection Act 1949. This Act provides coastal authorities with powers to levy coast protection charges from those with an interest in the land that would benefit from the coast protection works. The Government published a long-term Policy Statement in July 2020 setting out our ambition to create a nation more resilient to future flood and coastal erosion risk. The Policy Statement includes more than 40 actions which we will take to?accelerate progress to?better protect and better prepare the country against flooding and coastal erosion in the face of more frequent extreme weather as a result of climate change. As part of this, the Government has committed to consider options to expand and promote the use of local powers which local authorities can access to secure additional funding to manage flood and coastal erosion risk. We have also committed to explore the actions which the Government can take to support the right conditions for local investment where there is appetite to do so.

Home Office

Immigration Controls: Ireland (Island)

Claire Hanna: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will put in place plans to ensure that differential immigration systems on the island of Ireland are not exploited by criminal gangs to undermine legitimate businesses in Northern Ireland after the transition period ends.

Kevin Foster: The Common Travel Area (CTA) has never required the UK and Ireland to have entirely harmonised immigration arrangements for non-British or non-Irish citizens. However, everyone entering the UK, regardless of where they enter from, is required to meet the UK’s immigration framework. There is a high level of cooperation on border security to ensure legitimate travel, including for business, is facilitated while those who intend to abuse the arrangements are prevented from entering.The Home Office, Ireland’s Garda National Immigration Bureau and Border Management Unit, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and other police forces work together to tackle abuse of the CTA by conducting intelligence-led checks and enforcement operations. Anyone identified attempting to circumvent UK border controls is liable to be removed, if they are not lawfully present within the UK.We also work closely with the Republic of Ireland to secure the external CTA border, including data sharing and operational co-operation to prevent exploitation of our two immigration systems by those not complying with the relevant provisions in each nation.There is a high degree of co-operation between UK Government departments on all aspects of the CTA.

Assaults On Police: Reviews

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if her Department will conduct a review into the reasons for the increased number of assaults on police officers.

Kit Malthouse: Any assault on a police officer is completely unacceptable. In order to improve the accuracy of data on assaults on police officers, from 2017, police forces have included the number of assaults with injury on a police officer as part of their recorded crime data. This has been an important step towards obtaining a much better picture of the total number of assaults on police officers. We also welcome the recent publication of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Officer and Staff Safety Review and will continue to work closely with policing partners to consider the recommendations in the report.Assaults specifically against emergency workers, including police officers, are punishable by up to 12 months in prison and could be charged as common assault. This Government recently announced our intention to double the maximum sentence for assaults on emergency workers, showing our commitment to ensuring these attacks are not tolerated.We have also accelerated our work to introduce a Police Covenant, recognising the service and sacrifice of those who work, or have worked, in policing and to deliver the practical support they need. The key areas of focus will be physical protection, health and wellbeing and support for families.

Police: Labour Turnover

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to improve police force retention rates.

Kit Malthouse: Relatively few police officers choose to leave their job before retirement, compared to other public and private sector workforces. Voluntary resignations remain low at 2% of the workforce.The retention of experienced police officers is a priority for the Home Office. We are working alongside the National Police Chiefs’ Council to maximise opportunities to retain police officers who have valuable skills and policing experience.This Government takes the issue of policing wellbeing very seriously and has invested in programmes which offer help directly to officers and staffincluding the National Police Wellbeing Service.. We have also accelerated work to introduce a Police Covenant, which will be enshrined in law to ensure our police get the support they need. The Covenant will focus on health and wellbeing, physical protection and support for families.

Dangerous Dogs

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the merits of introducing a standardised method of recording dog attacks across all police forces in England.

Kit Malthouse: Attacks where a person or assistance dog is injured constitute specific offences in law and police forces are required to record them consistently as set out in the Home Office Counting Rules for recorded crime. Other attacks, such as those on livestock, should be recorded by police when reported to them and we expect forces to be able to use the data to assess the risks in their area and take action accordingly.

Police: Recruitment

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what strategies have been put in place to encourage under-represented groups to join the police.

Kit Malthouse: The police officer workforce is more diverse than ever before. The most recently published Police Officer Uplift data show that as at 30 June 2020 Black Asian and Minority Ethnic officers represented 7.4% of all police officers.The Home Secretary has been clear that forces must do more to become representative of the communities they serve. Attracting a broad range of talent, cultures and backgrounds to a career in policing is a core ambition in our drive to recruit 20,000 extra police officers.We are supporting forces with a variety of attraction and recruitment strategies, whilst delivering a campaign that’s been designed to reach the widest and most diverse audience possible including those who have never considered a policing career.Sharing best practice, engagement with police associations, upskilling recruitment teams and enhanced data capture are just some of the efforts being made to improve police diversity as part of the police uplift.

Police: Safety

Sarah Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Queen's Speech of 19 December 2019, what her timescale is for bringing forward legislative proposals to establish a Police Covenant and ensure the police are able to fully conduct their duties by providing them with additional support and protection.

Kit Malthouse: The Government will bring forward legislation later this session to place the Police Covenant on a statutory footing.We are fully committed to recognising the bravery, commitment and sacrifices of those who work or have worked in policing.We have accelerated work on the Police Covenant and, following the recent public consultation, published the Government’s response on 8 September. The Home Office continues to work across government and with partners in policing to establish the Covenant and prepare the necessary legislative provisions. This work focuses on the three themes of health and wellbeing, physical protection and support for families.

Children: Coronavirus

Peter Kyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to page 43 of the 2020 UK annual report on modern slavery, if she will publish the minutes of meetings held by the covid-19 vulnerable children's hub since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak.

Victoria Atkins: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Home Office’s Vulnerable Children Hub was established to ensure close collaboration both within the Department and between government departments to ensure the delivery of effective safeguarding responses for children. In addition to this forum, the PM led, cross-Government Hidden Harms Summit brought together stakeholders to share best practice on proactive policing, improving criminal justice outcomes and improving the intelligence picture on hidden crimes including Modern Slavery, Domestic Abuse and Child Sexual Abuse. A summit report was published in July, detailing clear commitments and ongoing activity to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from hidden harms.We continue to drive forward this work through the centrally led Cabinet Office processes.The COVID-19 Vulnerable Children’s Hub work relates to the development of ongoing Home Office policy, and as with any internal government discussions we would not publicly disclose records of its discussions.

Agriculture and Food: Exploitation

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority licensing requirement in the food and farming sector to protect workers from exploitation.

Victoria Atkins: The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) operates a licensing scheme for labour providers operating in the agriculture, horticulture, shellfish gathering and associated processing and packaging sectors. The licensing scheme ensures that businesses in these sectors are compliant with UK legislation, and that workers’ rights are not breached. The GLAA’s licensing standards sets out the legislation and working conditions that these businesses must be adhere to.Under the Gangmasters (Licensing Authority) Regulations 2005 the GLAA is required to produce an Annual Report and Accounts which is laid before Parliament each year by the Secretary of State for the Home Office. This report, which sets out its activities and financial information for the previous financial year, includes a performance report and analysis of the GLAA’s functions, including its licensing scheme.The GLAA’s most recent Annual Report and Accounts is published here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gangmasters-and-labour-abuse-authority-annual-report-and-accounts-for-2018-to-2019

Clothing: Manufacturing Industries

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the extent of labour exploitation in garment factories in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many completed inspections of garment factories in Leicester have been carried out by (a) the Health and Safety Executive, (b) the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, (c) HMRC and (d) Leicestershire police since 1 July 2020.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when the multi-agency local taskforce in Leicester plans to report its findings following its examination of labour exploitation in garment factories in Leicester.

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Leicester multi-agency taskforce is taking to tackle labour exploitation in garment factories.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to tackling modern slavery and will not tolerate the exploitation of vulnerable workers for commercial gain. We have taken a number of steps to deal with the issues in the textiles sector and take the issue very seriously.As a result of the widespread allegations of labour exploitation in the garment sector in Leicester, a multi-agency taskforce (Op TACIT), led by the Gangmasters Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), has been set up to bring together the enforcement bodies to work together to secure robust intelligence to carry out appropriate enforcement activity. The Taskforce is physically based in Leicester and draws in all the relevant enforcement organisations and agencies including, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs- National Minimum Wage; Employment Agencies Standards Inspectorate; Leicestershire Police; National Crime Agency; Health and Safety Executive; Leicester City Council; Department for Work and Pensions; Public Health England; Leicester Fire and Rescue Service and Immigration Enforcement.While we cannot comment on any ongoing investigations, we can confirm that since 1 July, 116 factory inspections have been undertaken by the taskforce including the Health and Safety Executive, the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, HMRC and Leicestershire police.The Taskforce activity is regularly reviewed and overseen by Ministers to ensure the most appropriate and effective law enforcement response is adopted to respond to emerging threats. The lessons learnt from this taskforce will be taken into consideration as the Government develop the single enforcement body for employment rights.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Antisemitism

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle antisemitism in (a) Wakefield constituency, (b) West Yorkshire and (c) England.

Christopher Pincher: Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our society, which is why we are taking a strong lead in tackling it in all its forms. We became the first country to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism in 2016 and we work with the Cross-Government Working Group to Tackle Antisemitism which ensures we can respond quickly to the concerns of Jewish communities. We also provide funds to a number of projects that work across the country to tackle Antisemitism; for example we fund the Antisemitism Policy Trust to support their work to tackle online antisemitism?and help combat this growing area of concern.This Government is also providing?£14 million?this?year, and provided over £65 million to date, for the Protective Security Grant to protect Jewish schools and community buildings.

Religious Hatred: Islam

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps his Department has undertaken to tackle islamophobia in (a) Wakefield constituency, (b) West Yorkshire and (c) England.

Luke Hall: Muslims in our country should be able to practice their faith in freedom. We have some of the strongest legislation in the world to tackle hate crime and, where groups incite racial hatred or are engaged in racially or religiously motivated criminal activity, we would expect them to be prosecuted. We have supported Tell MAMA?(Measuring Anti-Muslim Attacks)?with?just over £2.8 million between 2016 and 2020 to monitor and combat anti-Muslim hatred. To remain live to the issues facing Muslim communities, we continue to support the work of the cross-Government Anti-Muslim Hatred Working Group which provides valuable advice to Government on challenges faced by Britain’s Muslim communities and how to address those challenges. We have also established the Faith, Race and Hate Crime Grant Scheme will support established community groups and civil society organisations to run short projects that champion the government's commitment to building a diverse and tolerant society for all faiths and races. Up to £2 million is available for projects to boost shared values and tackle religiously and racially- motivated hate crime.

Evictions: Coronavirus

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support landlords unable to evict problem tenants responsible for repeated anti-social behaviour during the covid-19 outbreak.

Christopher Pincher: The suspension of possession proceedings ended on 20 September and landlords can now progress possession claims through the courts. The most egregious cases, such as those involving anti-social behaviour, will be prioritised by the courts.Additionally, as of 29 August, Coronavirus legislation extending the minimum notice period that must be given before a possession claim can be lodged in court was amended so that in the most serious circumstances, minimum notice period requirements have returned to what they were before COVID. This means that for claims relating to anti-social behaviour, the minimum amount of notice that a landlord must give has returned to four weeks. And for some discretionary grounds relating to nuisance/immoral or illegal use of the property, cases may now be progressed to court as soon as notice is given.However, in order to further protect renters over winter, the Government has asked bailiffs not to carry out evictions in areas where gatherings are not allowed in homes. Bailiffs should not carry out evictions in tier 2 (high) and tier 3 (very high) local COVID alert areas. The Government is keeping this approach under review. In addition, the Government has issued guidance to bailiffs that they should not carry out evictions in the weeks leading up to and over Christmas other than in the most serious circumstances.In parts of the country where bailiffs will not be carrying out evictions due to the need for stricter distancing, the police, local authorities and other local agencies will still be able to rely on the range of flexible tools and powers at their disposal to tackle anti-social behaviour, notably through the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.

Housing: Heating

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 October 2020 to Question 97616 on Housing: Standards and with reference to the Future Homes Standard consultation, when his Department plans to bring forward the first part of the proposed regulations on low carbon heating.

Christopher Pincher: As stated in my answer of 5 October 2020 to Question 97616, we will respond to the Future Homes Standard consultation in the autumn.

Derelict Land

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the merits of designating brownfield sites around cities for residential development over commercial.

Christopher Pincher: It is for local authorities to determine where they meet local housing need, having regard to planning constraints in their area, to other planning goals, and to our National Planning Policy Framework. Local authorities should plan for all strategic priorities, not only the new homes we need but economic development, employment, and vibrant and prosperous town centres. The Framework expects local authorities to prioritise brownfield land for development wherever possible, and to assess and plan which land-use individual sites should serve. Our Planning for the Future consultation proposes that, under a reformed system, local authorities would use the plan-making process to categorise all their land as areas for growth, renewal or protection. They could direct development onto brownfield, ensure the continued protection of Green Belt and other valued countryside, and deliver - through a fast-track process - beautiful buildings that accord with design guidance.

Derelict Land

Jane Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of planning policy on encouraging development of brownfield land.

Christopher Pincher: It is for local authorities to identify brownfield land suitable for housing in their published registers, and to assess and plan how all brownfield land might best be used, in line with chapter 11 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)It is too soon to calculate the effects of the revised NPPFOur Land Use Change statistical release provides data on the proportion of new residential addresses created on previously developed land and on other individual land uses as well. In 2017-18, 53 per cent of new residential addresses were created on previously developed land. The proportion of new residential addresses created on previously developed land has remained above 50 per cent since the data was first collected in 2013-14. Statistics for 2018-19 will be published in due course.

Domestic Abuse: Housing

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect (a) vulnerable people and (b) victims of domestic violence from not being able to access their Housing Association properties if they are in rent-arrears through no fault of their own.

Christopher Pincher: Most housing associations are Private Registered Providers of social housing. When providing access to their properties, Private Registered Providers must comply with the Regulator of Social Housing’s Tenancy Standard: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tenancy-standard/tenancy-standard-2015 . This requires them to allocate their properties in a fair and transparent way, taking into account the housing needs and aspirations of tenants and potential tenants, with clear application, decision and appeals processes. They must also clearly set out, and be able to give reasons for, the criteria they use for excluding actual and potential tenants from consideration for allocations, mobility or mutual exchange schemes.   We have taken unprecedented steps to protect renters, whether they rent from a housing association, local council or private landlord.   We have introduced 6-month notice periods. From 29 August, anyone served a notice seeking possession will not have to leave their home over winter, except in the most serious cases such as anti-social behaviour, fraud and egregious rent arrears.   The Government has asked bailiffs not to carry out evictions in areas where gatherings are not allowed in homes and bailiffs should not carry out evictions in tier 2 (high) and tier 3 (very high) local COVID alert areas. There will also be a pause on the enforcement of evictions in the run up to and over Christmas except in the most serious circumstances, such as cases involving anti-social behaviour.   This will ensure vulnerable tenants are not forced from their homes at a time when public and local authorities may be dealing with the usual level of increased demand for services.   For those who require additional support with their rent, Discretionary Housing Payments are available. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21 there is already £180 million in Discretionary Housing Payments for local authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs in the social and private rented sectors.

Coal: Carbon Emissions

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his recent decision to refuse planning permission for the coal mine at Druridge Bay, what assessment he has made of whether a coal mine can be carbon neutral; and what the evidential basis is for that assessment.

Christopher Pincher: The Secretary of State’s conclusions on this case are fully set out in the decision letter of 8 September, which is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/called-in-decision-land-at-highthorn-widdrington-northumberland-ref-3158266-8-september-2020.

Housing: Construction Methods

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment his Department has made of the fire safety of Modern Methods of Construction.

Christopher Pincher: MMC homes have to meet building regulations standards, including fire safety standards, in the same way as homes built using traditional methods of construction. In addition, there are safeguards in place through various assurance and warranty processes to ensure the quality and standard in such homes. We will also be commissioning a research project on modular construction to further understand these new construction technologies.

Buildings: Insulation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions he has had with leaseholders who are unable to (a) sell or (b) re-mortgage their properties as a result of not having an EWS1 certificate.

Christopher Pincher: Ministers and officials had recent meetings with leaseholder groups and Housing Associations to explore these challenges.The EWS1 process is not a Government policy or regulatory requirement and the Government does not support a blanket approach in EWS1 use for lower risk properties. Some lenders do not require an EWS1 form, and others seek them for a greater range of buildings than the process was designed for. We are encouraging lenders to accept a broader range of evidence to assure themselves of a building’s safety. This could include a fire risk assessment that includes external walls, a recent building control certificate, or other assurances of the building’s safety the building owner can provide.

Night Shelters: Coronavirus

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's publication of 13 October 2020 on COVID-19: provision of night shelters - Operating principles for commissioners and providers of night shelters for people experiencing rough sleeping,  what steps the Government is taking to help ensure local authorities have adequate supplies of personal protective equipment for staff and volunteers working in night shelters.

Christopher Pincher: Rough sleeping services?previously had access to emergency PPE supplies via?Local Resilience Forums (LRFs).? DHSC has now offered to distribute PPE to every local authority directly, or via their LRF where preferred, and the majority of local authorities are now receiving PPE through this route.??This PPE can be made available to rough sleeping services as required by Covid-19 guidance.

Housing Associations: Provident Societies

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of housing associations who are registered as Industrial and Provident Societies; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of homes (a) owned by and (b) being built by housing associations registered as industrial and provident societies; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Pincher: Organisations that were previously registered as industrial and provident societies are now classified as registered societies, following the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. However, not all registered societies were previously industrial and provident societies, given new entrants to the sector since 2014.There are 789 private registered providers of social housing that are classified as registered societies. These providers own approximately 2.5 million of the 2.8 million homes owned by private registered providers.In total, private registered providers as a whole were responsible for delivering 47,040 affordable homes in 2018/2019, of which 44,918 were new build. We are unable to disaggregate between former industrial and provident societies, current registered societies, and private registered providers more generally.

Cabinet Office

Public Service: Russia

Alyn Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether the UK Government holds data on the number of former senior crown servants who (a) have and (b) have had in the last five years business relationships with Russian state-backed organisations.

Chloe Smith: Some information on former senior officials taking up appointments is published by ACOBA and available online.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Alex Sobel: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what plans he has to issue covid-19 related guidance on trick or treating.

Penny Mordaunt: We appreciate that people will be thinking about how they can safely mark halloween. Local Authorities will communicate relevant advice on halloween in their area, and the Government is working with Local Authorities to support understanding of how the social distancing rules apply.

Common Travel Area: Northern Ireland

Claire Hanna: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to make provision for the (a) Common Travel Area and (b) Memorandum of Understanding signed by the British and Irish Governments in 2019.

Penny Mordaunt: The Common Travel Area (CTA) is an arrangement between the UK, the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey, and Ireland. It is underpinned by domestic law in each jurisdiction.The UK Government and Irish Government have indicated their commitment to maintaining the CTA, and to taking all necessary measures to ensure that its associated rights and privileges are protected. Both Governments confirmed that position on 8 May 2019, when they signed a Common Travel Area Memorandum of Understanding, setting out that commitment. The text is available on GOV.UK. The UK Government and Irish Government continue to work together to implement the CTA through bilateral agreements and legislation where required.

Housing: National Parks

Damian Hinds: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 16 October 2020 to Question 100935 on Housing: East Hampshire, if he will undertake an assessment of affordability ratios for homes inside (a) South Downs National Park and (b) other National Park boundaries relative to neighbouring areas.

Chloe Smith: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. I have therefore asked the Authority to respond.UKSA response PQ105354 (pdf, 60.1KB)

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: Africa

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what her policy is on continued market access or equivalent support for (a) Kenya, (b) Ghana and (c) Cameroon in the event that continuity agreements with those countries are not reached.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what trade operating framework (a) Kenya, (b) Ghana and (c) Cameroon will be classified under in the event in the event that continuity agreements with those countries are not reached.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate her Department has made of potential additional costs for exporting from (a) Kenya, (b) Ghana and (c) Cameroon in the event that continuity agreements with those countries are not reached.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate her Department has made of the potential additional export costs for (a) meat, (b) flowers and (c) beans from Kenya from the introduction of (i) alternative customs procedures, (ii) rules of origin requirements, (iii) UK border checks and (iv) other non-tariff barriers after the end of the transition period.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate her department has made of the potential additional export costs for (a) meat, (b) flowers and (c) beans from Kenya in the event that a continuity agreement with that country is not reached.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate her Department has made of the potential additional export costs for (a) meat, (b) fruit and vegetables, (c) fish and (d) other prepared foodstuffs from Ghana rom the introduction of (i) alternative customs procedures, (ii) rules of origin requirements, (iii) UK border checks and (iv) other non-tariff barriers after the end of the transition period.

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what estimate her Department has made of the potential additional export costs for (a) meat, (b) fruit and vegetables (c) fish and (d) other prepared foodstuffs from Ghana in the event that a continuity agreement is not reached with that country.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: We are working with Kenya, Ghana and Cameroon to secure their continuity trade agreements. If a continuity agreement is not concluded before the end of the transition period, all three countries would benefit from preferential trading terms under our Generalised Scheme of Preferences after the end of the transition period. However, as lower middle-income countries, this would not be at duty-free and quota-free rate that an Agreement would provide. We recognise the possible impact that a loss of duty-free and quota-free access after the transition period could have on Kenya, Ghana and Cameroon. Therefore, we continue to engage with all three countries to secure continuity trade agreements, based on those to which we have been party, providing access to our market and ensuring lasting certainty for businesses.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Internet: Safety

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish the online media literacy strategy connected with the Online Harms Bill.

Caroline Dinenage: The Online Harms White Paper set out the Government’s intention to publish an online Media Literacy Strategy to ensure a coordinated and strategic approach to media literacy education for all UK citizens. The Strategy is due to be published in spring 2021.

Museums and Galleries: Wakefield

Imran Ahmad Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps his Department is taking to ensure the long-term sustainability of museums in Wakefield constituency.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government has demonstrated the significance it places on culture through the Cultural Recovery Fund. This £1.57bn support package to protect Britain’s world-class cultural, arts and heritage institutions, is the biggest ever one-off investment in UK culture. The funding will support our critical cultural and heritage institutions to survive and recover through the coronavirus pandemic.My department has been working tirelessly with our Arms’ Length bodies to process the awards and I am pleased organisations across the country have benefitted including The Hepworth Wakefield, which was awarded £146,726, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park which was awarded £804,013 from the Fund.The National Coal Mining Museum is also supported via Grant in Aid distributed through the DCMS- sponsored Science Museum Group.

Internet: Safety

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what representations he has received from experts in the education sector on the Online Harms Bill.

Caroline Dinenage: Ministers and officials are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, in developing the Online Harms Bill. This includes discussions with experts from the education sector. We will publish a Full Government Response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation later this year, which will include more detailed proposals on online harms regulation. We will continue to engage with stakeholders from the education sector, as well as industry, academia and civil society, as we develop proposals and move towards legislation.